Ode to Forgetfulness

Today is my wife's birthday. She is 63, I'm 62. I never let her forget that, especially on the big ones, like when she turned 50 I had three months to tell her "I'm in my 40's, you're in your 50's." This video was sent to me by my friend Patty, it really seems to fit these days!

The murder of a child

UPDATE: A Facebook page has been set up in Justin's memory. If you would like to offer your condolences, you may do it there. So far almost 2000 people signed on.

How do you wrap your mind around the murder of a 12 year old boy?
Justin Bloxom was described by a teacher as a bright, attentive, well-behaved student. This week is spring break at his school, and he was spending the night with friends. The boys stayed up half the night, probably watching movies and just being young teenagers. There is nothing wrong with that, everyone who has raised kids has been through it.
In this case, something went terribly wrong. When the other boys woke up, Justin was gone and no one knew where.
The police were called and an amber alert was issued. Yesterday afternoon Justin’s body was found beside Hwy. 171. A suspect, Brian Horn, was soon identified, questioned and charged.
I have heard from one source that there was possibly a Facebook connection between Justin and the suspect. If that is true, it will come out. Police are doing forensics on computers from both Justin and the suspect.
Justin’s phone was missing. A broken cell phone was found in Horn’s taxicab, and Bossier City police are determining if it is Justin’s phone and if it can be restored. In any event, the service provider will be able to furnish every call made in and out of Justin’s phone.
An autopsy should be completed today and the exact cause of death will be known.
The entire area is under a pall, trying to understand what happened and why.
We can only imagine the trauma that Justin’s family is going through. This is a hard case for police to deal with too, but I have no doubt that they will come through in their best professional manner.
Justin’s friends and schoolmates are likewise in shock and disbelief. How do you discuss something like this with young people when you can’t even begin to understand it yourself? The answer is that kids have to learn, as we do, that sometimes horrible things happen despite all of our best efforts.
I don’t know what I am trying to accomplish with this blog post, other than to verbalize what I and so many others are feeling today.
Our prayers and thoughts are with Justin’s heartbroken family. Nothing anyone can say can make this better for them, but they need to know that the entire community is at their side.

Brian Horn charged with murder of Justin Bloxom

Brian Douglas Horn, the taxi driver who was detained for questioning this afternoon in the murder of 12 year old Justin Bloxom has been charged with 2nd degree murder.
Police report that Horn was seen coming out of the woods where Justin's body was found and that additional evidence was found in Horn's home.
First post here.

Body of 12 year old boy found in DeSoto Parish: Sex offender being questioned

The body of a missing 12-year-old DeSoto Parish boy was found this afternoon in woods near Stonewall in the north part of the parish.
Authorities in DeSoto Parish say a known sex offender, Brian Douglas Horn, is in custody and being questioned now at the DeSoto Parish Sheriff's Office substation on Hwy. 171.
Authorities said the body is believed to be that of Justin Bloxom, who was last seen about 3 a.m. at his home in Stonewall.

Justin's body was found about 1:30 p.m. Deputies said it was approximately 100 yards off U.S. 171.
KTBS

The Stripper vs The Zipper: Stormy seeks to unseat Vitter

Opinionated Catholic is reporting that Stormy Daniels appears to be ready to throw her hat – or something – into the ring and announce for the U. S. Senate against Republican David Vitter.
At one time Stormy said that if Vitter wouldn’t meet her in a debate, she’d be happy to take him on in a wrestling match.
All in favor of the wrestling option raise your hand!

Warning: Legislature in Session

The Louisiana Legislature is now is session. The Times has sent questionaires to each of our local representatives. I am cherry picking some questions and answers from Senators Robert Adley and Buddy Shaw and from Representatives Henry Burns and Jane Smith and adding my comments. Feel free to chime in.
Here is a link to The Times opinion page so you can read the answers given by all of the local reps.

What areas or budget reductions would you change in the governor's proposed budget?
Adley: Remove cuts to war veterans homes totaling $1 million statewide.
Shaw: I am genuinely concerned about care for the handicapped and mentally ill, such as those housed at the northwest facility in Bossier City and other locations that service those people.
Burns: Early childhood education.
No disagreement on any of these

What are the top bills you plan to introduce and focus on during the session?
Adley: The executive branch still ranks dead last in transparency. I will have legislation to bring more sunshine on the executive process, especially budget information.
Adley: I passed legislation two years ago to prohibit undersecretaries and prohibit family from having state contracts in the same way as are legislators. The administration opposed stopping family members; but the person impacted is no longer with the administration, so I will try to finish the job.
Good on both of these. For all of the governor's spiels on talk shows and in the national media about the 'gold standard' of ethics, he has continually blocked any efforts to place ethics restrictions on his office. Of all governor's offices in the country, it is dead last on transparency. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
Adley: Change pedophile law for a spouse to report pedophiles without fear of reprisal. Spouses are afraid to take action for fear of retaliation of the other spouse.
I don't understand how the legislature passing a law of this nature will offer any real protection to anyone. There are already remedies in place (domestic abuse restraining orders).
Shaw: Require retailers to provide certain information to a consumer who purchases an iguana.
Okay, I won't even go there.
Shaw: Provide that funeral policies pay the cash value on the face of the policy or the amount equal to the total premiums paid, whichever is greater.
Don't understand this one, don't insurance policies already have to do this?
Burns: Provide an opportunity for places of worship to establish a security plan, amending the state's concealed handgun provisions. (House Bill 68)
Apparently being done on behalf of a constituent. If the need is there, I'm not opposed. I'm not sure this will go anywhere.
Smith: Provide that the director of the Division of Administrative Law is appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court rather than the governor's office (House Bill 1077). This bill is a work in progress in how to address some of the concerns that the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana had concerning the administrative law judges and the Ethics Board.
Excellent proposal. This is at the heart of the ethics debate. During the special session on ethics a couple of years ago, power to enforce was removed from the Ethics Board and given to administrative law judges that are appointed by the governor. That didn't pass the 'smell test' and needs to be rectified.

Should the office of lieutenant governor be abolished? If so, who/where should the duties of lieutenant governor be assigned to?
Adley: I do not think we should abolish the office for several reasons. I am not for creating "kings and kingdoms." I support a balanced government with as many checks and balances as possible.
Burns: I would consider abolishing the office of lieutenant governor. I would place the majority of this office's duties and responsibilities with the secretary of state.
I am 100% with Adley on this one. It is very important to have that constitutional check. I am lukewarm on combining the office with Secretary of State. I believe we should think long and hard about this one.
(As a side note, when Paul Cyr was Lieutenant Governor in the Huey P. Long days, he attempted to take over the governorship when Long refused to resign after being elected to the Senate. In 1931, Cyr filed suit to have himself declared governor.)
From Wikipedia:
"He had a justice of the peace in Shreveport give him the oath of office in the Caddo Parish courthouse. Cyr arrived in Baton Rouge and threatened to take over the governor's mansion. Long ordered the National Guard to mobilize, and troops surrounded the capitol with strict orders not to admit Cyr. After a few days, state police replaced the guardsmen. For a time, the city was an "armed camp", with both Long and Cyr packing pistols."

Why is he still alive?

The Times reported this morning that Danny Irish, who is on death row at Angola for a Caddo Parish murder that occurred in 1996, was denied pornography in a lawsuit that he had filed. Danny’s suit claimed that it was ‘educational’ material.

Danny was looking for pen-pals a few years ago on the internet.

Hi, I am Danny! Nice to meet you! I am white, 26 years old, brown hair, blue eyes, 170 lbs., DOB 2-12-78. I’m currently on Death Row. I love to write. I am open-minded and can talk about anything.

I am looking for a pen pal, hopefully a strong friendship. If you are sincere about an everlasting friendship and writing and think you can keep up, if you are interested, please write to me.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I am looking forward in hearing from you. Much love and laughs.

Always, Danny

Daniel Irish
# 399680
Death Row
Louisiana State Penitentiary
Angola, LA 70712
USA

Now let’s see why Mr. ‘love and laughs’ is on death row.

Here is an account that is on the Louisiana Supreme Court’s website from his appeal on the death penalty.

In December 1996, the then 18-year-old defendant and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Kristee Kline, were living in a mobile home owned by Russ Rowland, a local building contractor. Because the defendant and Kline were unemployed, they had not paid their rent for two months and thus owed Rowland $500.00. In addition, they had numerous overdue bills and recently had their phone service disconnected. Faced with financial hardship, the defendant often talked about robbing and killing someone with a lot of money. Approximately three days before the instant offense, the defendant told Kline and friends Audy Keith and Jason Guin that he wanted to rob and kill Rowland. The defendant informed them that he planned to lure Rowland to the trailer, kill him, and dispose of the body in a nearby swamp.

On the morning of December 30, 1996, the defendant went to Rowland's office and asked Rowland to come to the trailer to collect the overdue rent. Rowland arrived shortly thereafter, but the defendant did not follow through with his plan and instead told Rowland that he had misplaced his checkbook and asked Rowland to come back that afternoon. Later that day, while driving home from a local Wal-Mart store with Kline, Keith and Guin, the defendant reiterated his need for money and his intent to rob and kill Rowland. The defendant stopped at a convenience store and called Rowland's office from a pay phone, leaving a message with Rowland's secretary that he "had what Russ needs," and that if Rowland would come by the trailer he would "take care of it."

At approximately 3:00 p.m., Rowland arrived at the trailer and ascended the steps to the front door. When he approached the open door, Keith fired one shot from the defendant's twelve-gauge shotgun, hitting Rowland in the abdomen. Rowland collapsed on the porch outside the front door and began screaming in pain. The defendant then took the shotgun from Keith and attempted to shoot Rowland again, but the gun malfunctioned and would not fire. The defendant then picked up his 30-30 rifle, pointed it at Rowland and, despite Rowland's repeated pleas that the defendant not shoot him, fired the rifle into Rowland's right eye, blowing away a large portion of his head. Thereafter, the defendant told Keith to search Rowland's truck for Rowland's wallet, which Keith found and turned over to the defendant. The defendant subsequently removed $141.00 from the wallet and hid the wallet and money under a couch cushion.

The defendant next asked Keith to help drag Rowland's body into the trailer, but Keith refused. Kline, who had hidden in the bedroom when Rowland approached the trailer, emerged and began cleaning up the blood on the carpet where the defendant had dragged Rowland's body down the hallway. Guin, who had seen Rowland's truck drive by and then heard two gunshots, came over to the trailer to see what had happened. Guin noticed that the front porch was wet and that there was a "big black mark like a trail" going down the hall. Guin also observed Kline on her knees scrubbing at the black mark. Guin asked where the defendant was and Keith pointed to the back of the trailer. Guin walked down the hall and saw Rowland's body on the floor. When the defendant asked Guin to help him move the body, Guin refused. The defendant then picked up the shotgun and began to load it. When the defendant turned toward Guin with the shotgun, Guin ran out the back door and into the wooded area behind the trailer. Guin eventually went to a neighbor's house and called 911 to report the murder.

During this time, one of the defendant's neighbors called 911 to report that she had heard two gunshots coming from the west of her trailer and that one shot had hit her mobile home. She also reported that she saw someone searching Rowland's white pickup truck, which was parked in front of the defendant's trailer. Two deputies responded to the call and searched her trailer for a bullet hole. The deputies eventually walked over to the defendant's trailer and observed that the front porch had recently been washed with a nearby garden hose that was still running. Upon closer inspection, the deputies discovered shotgun wadding, blood, tissue, and bone fragments on the ground near the porch. While trying to determine whether the blood, tissue and bone fragments were of human origin, the deputies received information from headquarters of Guin's report of a homicide at the defendant's trailer. Sheriff's investigators soon arrived and entered the unlocked back door of the trailer to see if anyone inside was injured. Once inside, they discovered Rowland's body, and later his wallet and the $141.00 in cash hidden under the couch cushion. In addition, deputies discovered Rowland's receipt book which contained a receipt made out to the defendant in the amount of $500.00.

Immediately after the shooting, Keith left the trailer and went to a neighbor's house where he stayed until his parents delivered him to the authorities later that evening. In addition, the defendant and Kline left the trailer in Kline's car and drove to the office of a local bondsman, Steve Dement, and then to Dement's house. The defendant informed Dement that there was a dead body in his trailer and Dement instructed the defendant to "go back and check your house out . . . [because] there may not be anybody there." While driving back to the trailer, the defendant was spotted by a sheriff's deputy and taken into custody. The defendant informed the deputy that Kline was still at Dement's house and deputies arrested her without incident. In their several statements, Kline and the defendant maintained that Keith shot Rowland with both the shotgun and the rifle, but Keith maintained that the defendant pulled the trigger of the shotgun as Keith held it and then shot Rowland with the rifle.

On February 13, 1997, a Caddo Parish grand jury separately indicted the defendant and Keith with one count of first degree murder in violation of La. R.S. 14:30. Before the defendant's trial, Keith pled guilty to second degree murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment at hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. Keith eventually turned state's witness and testified at the defendant's trial that he had indeed fired the first shot, but that the defendant forced him to do so at gunpoint, and that the defendant then shot Rowland in the head with the rifle. The jury found the defendant guilty of first degree murder.

I know that my questions have all been through every court in the land, but legal or not, some things are just wrong.

1. Why is he allowed to file a frivolous lawsuit such as the one seeking pornography?
2. Why is he allowed use of the internet?

These are privileges and should not be considered basic rights. He had the right to due process, and received it. That included a mandated appeal of his sentence. Beyond that, we owe him nothing.

About the only right the Rowland family has left is to take flowers to the cemetery and place on the grave of their loved one.

This makes me sick.

A Glimpse of Bossier Parish History

I have done a couple of blogs recently on the history of the Bossier Strip. Let's go a little further back in time, 125 years this week to be exact.
This old boy was my great-great-great grandfather. He was a gunsmith at the Caddo Indian Agency at one time and moved to what is now Bossier Parish and established a home and plantation at Irwin's Bluff, on the river just outside of Benton.
He was married to Mary Edwards, the daughter of Larkin Edwards who was the interpreter for the Caddo Indians. Larkin Edwards is said to be buried at Coates Bluff, just across Burt Boulevard from the courthouse in Benton.
Coleville is about 5 or 6 miles east of Benton.

Major Jacob Irwin, one of the first settlers of this section of Louisiana, died at his residence, in this parish, on last Saturday at 5:30 PM in his 95th year. Maj. Irwin located here many years before Bossier parish was organized, and was, at the time of his death, the oldest citizen of Bossier Parish. Indeed, a venerable landmark has fallen – Bossier’s pioneer has been called home and his earthly labors are ended forever. He has been prominent as a business man and done faithful work in the service of his country. His deeds of charity have been numberless and as noiseless as the falling snow and he goes to his long home now amid expressions from the lips of every class of the community of the love and esteem he has inspired. As a friend and neighbor he was a model in any community. But with it all he was quiet and unostentatious. Major Irwin was a truly good man, in the boradest meaning of that word, and his good deeds and life of usefulness will long be remembered by his relatives and friends
“And to live in hearts we leave behind
is not to die.”
Last Monday morning, at Colveille cemetery, amid many expressions of regret from sorrowing relatives and friends, the mortal remains of Major Jacob Irwin were laid, solemnly to rest in the city of the dead, in faith and hope of the glorious resurrection morning.
Bossier Banner Progress, March 26,1885

North Louisiana Blogging

I started North Louisiana Blogs last year in order to promote all of the blogs in our corner of the state. I think we have some very good blogs and need to let everyone know.
I have been remiss in posting over there, but am pledging to keep it updated.
Check it out today.

Confederate Cemetery at Keatchie

Lost in time, nestled under the pine trees in DeSoto Parish, is the Confederate Memorial Cemetery. After the battle of Mansfield, Keachie College was turned into a hospital to care for the wounded. The 2nd floor was made into a morgue.
I stopped there today to get these pictures to share with you. White irises were blooming at several places in the cemetery, leaving that sickly sweet smell hanging in the air, that smell that we associate with death.